Park Crescent is an example of

Georgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, designed in 1829 by

Amon Henry Wilds Amon Henry Wilds (1784 or 1790 – 13 July 1857) was an English architect. He was part of a team of three architects and builders who—working together or independently at different times—were almost solely responsible for a surge in resid ...

, son of the architect

Amon Wilds Amon Wilds (1762 – 12 September 1833) was an English architect and builder. He formed an architectural partnership with his son Amon Henry WildsIn this article, Amon Wilds is referred to as ''Wilds senior'' and his son Amon Henry Wilds a ...

and constructed between 1831 and 1833. AH Wilds had previously worked on other large projects including the

Kemp Town Kemp Town Estate, also known as Kemp Town, is a 19th-century Regency architecture residential estate in the east of Brighton in East Sussex, England, UK. It consists of Arundel Terrace, Lewes Crescent, Sussex Square, Chichester Terrace, and ...

estate in nearby

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

. Arranged in a

serpentine shape A serpentine shape is any of certain curved shapes of an object or design, which are suggestive of the shape of a snake (the adjective "serpentine" is derived from the word ''serpent''). Serpentine shapes occur in architecture, in furniture, and ...

, the terrace overlooks thickly planted grounds of Amelia Park, in the manner of Bath. It is built on a slight ridge close to what was in the 1830s the edge of the town by the boundary with the neighbouring parish of

Heene West Worthing is a neighbourhood of Worthing in West Sussex, England that was developed within Heene and later expanded beyond Heene's boundaries. Intended as an exclusive resort, the township of West Worthing was developed from around 1864 and m ...

and would have overlooked fields, with views extending to the parish churches of Tarring and Goring. There are two cottages ornés, originally called north and south Swiss Cottages, and now a hotel. It is likely that Wilds intended the 'alpine-style' cottages to be a discovery on walks into the woods of Amelia Park.Conservation area appraisal by Worthing planners
Retrieved 2009-03-29 Park Crescent comprises 14 houses, each originally having three floors together with servants' quarters in the basement.

Background and significant

Initially planned to be given the name ''Royal Park Crescent'', the Royal was dropped, perhaps when UK-wide recession stopped building in the 1830s. It had originally been intended to extend the building further to the west to line up with the Swiss cottages and take the terrace to 22 houses. Park Crescent has given its name to Crescent Road, which runs southwards to the sea. Richmond Road, which runs east-west close to Park Crescent, was formerly known as Park Lane or Park Crescent Lane until it was renamed after the 6th Duke of Richmond. Close to Park Crescent lies the site of some Roman burials from the 4th century, identified by coins of

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

(reigned 284–305) and

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

(reigned 306–337) which were found with them. The building was given grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

status in 1949.

Triumphal arch

Park Crescent is reached through a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...

. The main archway, designed for carriages, contains the busts of four bearded men as atlantes. The two side arches, designed for pedestrians, each contain the busts of four young ladies as

caryatid A caryatid ( or or ; grc, Καρυᾶτις, pl. ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "ma ...

s. The busts were originally supplied by William Croggan of London, the cousin and successor to

Eleanor Coade Eleanor Coade (3 June 1733 – 18 November 1821) was a British businesswoman known for manufacturing Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments made of ''Lithodipyra'' or Coade stone for ov ...

of the famous Coade Stone factory in Lambeth. They are not actually stone but are cast from moulds, using the special formula and process that Eleanor Coade perfected over her years as the working owner of Coade stone. Examples her architectural adornments can be found at key landmarks throughout the UK, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor castle.

Notable residents

* Vera Arlett, playwright and poet * Anthony Copley Fielding, watercolour painter * Thomas Dyer Edwardes, a passenger of the TitanicTitanic People family history website
Retrieved 2009-03-29

References

External links

Worthing Council: Listed Building Register

Historical Buildings of Worthing

ARticle in the Worthing Herald
{{Worthing Buildings and structures in Worthing Grade II* listed buildings in West Sussex Houses in West Sussex Houses completed in 1833 Crescents (architecture)